Arizona Veterans Highway I-17 litter disgraces the veterans we should honor

Sedona AZ (November 3, 2013) – In a letter to the SedonaEye.com editor, Gary Chamberlain, Vietnam Veteran and Folksville USA civic activist, reminds Arizonans that to protect and serve our country is everyone’s responsibility and duty:

Dear Editor,

Every day should be Veterans Day. All men and women in our Armed Forces serve the citizens of our country. Sometimes these men and women die for our country. Some of these men and women suffer life-changing injuries, again, serving the citizens of our country.

Rick Stone, USMC, paid the ultimate price when he served our country only to have a few people disgrace his name by dumping 30 bags of trash on the one-mile section of highway which honors his name, his service and his family’s name.

Those who disgrace our veterans and their family members, by trashing our Arizona Veterans Highway (I-17) might want to rethink their actions.

Arizona honors its Armed Forces men and women by displaying the “Arizona Veterans Highway” and “custom” highway signs for our fallen soldiers, including those veterans that have served our country.

Gary Chamberlain, Folksville USA Point Man challenges all to get involved in keeping Arizona and America the beautiful

Those who trash our highways and the slogan “America the Beautiful” impose the responsibility to restore honor to our surviving and fallen soldiers by requiring the citizens of our state to collect this disgraceful litter. The trash that stains the memorials to our veterans is a disgrace to our state and our country. We must salute and honor those who in life and death have served our country and our state.

There are reasons for “oops” litter-trash accidents but whether accidental and intentional, littering is preventable. If the citizens who litter our highways would responsibly dispose of this litter, they would honor our veterans. By eliminating litter, we as citizens will have done something to make our Armed Forces as proud of us as we defend the slogan and image of “America the Beautiful” to honor them.

Do we want to use our highways as a dumping ground? What does this litter say about our citizens and our respect for our veterans?

Let’s make every day “Veterans Day” and honor their service.